Secrets and Lies
by KDiMeraFan21
Summary: When the BAU goes camping together, their secrets are spilled and white lies discovered.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Let me know what you think! Hope you enjoy! This will be equally JJ/Reid and Morgan/Garcia. **

Spencer Reid hated camping.

As an FBI agent, too many of the cases had involved the woods in some way. Women would be out in these parts, intent on having a weekend of fun, and meet a completely different fate. The unsubs would hide out in the trees waiting for an innocent to walk by and target them. Just the thought made Reid uneasy. Jumpy even.

He would much prefer renting a cabin or staying in a hotel than walking through the trees looking for a place to sleep that night. Camping out was not his forte. He was about books and learning and anything that pertained to the indoors.

It was the team who had wanted to go. The FBI had granted the entirety of them a whole seven days off work, and their idea of a vacation had involved heading out on the Appalachian trail to camp out for two of those days.

Reid had begged them not to go at all. He didn't want to be a stick in the mud or the odd one out, but the team was insistent. They teased him even. "Lighten up lover boy," Morgan had said. "It's only two days. Not even the full forty-eight hours. Then you'll be home and can do all the reading you want."

Reid had a stack of books at home that he wanted to get through this week. Most were non fiction and classics, but he wanted to read them nevertheless. A few were recommended to him by academic colleagues and even one by Rossi. They were calling his name and here he was, standing and watching his team debate over where to pitch the tents.

"Here would be fine," Penelope piped up. "We're close to a water source. The lake is through those trees right there."

She pointed at a patch of trees on down the small hill that shaded the area and lake completely. Reid had to admit this was the perfect place to sleep tonight. It would be cool.

"It's fine with me," Derek said, dropping his bag on the ground. "Let's set up the tents."

It took Derek and Hotch a matter of twenty minutes to get all five tents set up and scattered around their small camp site. They left a space in the middle for them to sit later and possibly have a fire. "I think ahead, Baby Girl," Derek had joked to Penelope, making her laugh.

JJ nudged Reid. "C'mon Spence. Lighten up a little. You know you're happy to be out here with your family. And me of course."

"I am," he said, reaching out to squeeze her hand while the team wasn't looking. "I just wish we could have all this fun back at our place, you know? Where my books are and the ground isn't my bed."

She agreed with him on that. As soon as the tents were pitched, they all began debating sleeping arrangements among them. There were nine of them in total. Seven team members and Jack and Henry too.

The two little boys were running around the campsite and chasing each other while they debated who would sleep where. "I'm going to catch you, Jack!" Henry practically roared.

"I'm with Penelope," Derek said. "I refuse to bunk with Reid."

"Hey!" Reid said in mock hurt. "At least I don't snore like Rossi does. He practically saws logs in his sleep."

Everyone snickered and Rossi glared at them. "You guys are hilarious, really," he said. "I'm about to fall over in laughter."

"Reid can sleep with me then," Hotch said with an authoritative tone. "The boys get a tent, JJ and Kate get one, and Rossi gets one separate from everyone so we can actually sleep tonight. It's settled."

All of them moved their things into their respective tents, as they were all exhausted and needed a minute to rest before continuing on with the evening. They still needed to eat and the kids were probably be up for hours yet…

"Daddy," Jack said. "Can Henry and me go to the lake?"

Hotch glanced at JJ for approval who shrugged. "As long as you're careful and don't get too close, yes," he said. "Be back in ten minutes."

The two were off then, racing all the way to the body of water in some game they were playing.

Back inside the tents, Derek looked over at Penelope, who was perched on her sleeping bag on the other side of theirs. "Penny for your thoughts," he said. "You seem distracted, baby."

"It's nothing," she said. "Really."

Derek raised an eyebrow. Penelope averted her eyes, refusing to meet his accusing gaze. Something was definitely on the tech's mind.

He crossed his arms. "I'm not letting you out for dinner if you don't confide in me," he said. "What is it, Baby Girl?"

"I'm really…" she said so low he couldn't hear.

"You're what?"

"Horny!" she hissed. "I've been watching you lug around all our luggage today, and you look _good. _Strong and muscular and well, Mama wants her chocolate."

Derek started laughing, getting a death glare from Penelope. "Sorry, but that was not what I was expecting you to say," he said. Then, in a whisper: "I want you too right now. Really bad."

"Maybe we should've went camping on our own," she whispered. "We could've had the time of our lives."

"Maybe," he said. "We could sneak off though. Say we're heading out for...I don't know, water or something. We'll be gone a half-hour tops."

"The lake is barely fifty feet away, Hot Stuff," she pointed out. "Won't our timing be a little off?"

He suddenly started grinning. "Do you remember that overlook a little while away? Let's say we're going there to take pictures."

"Deal," Penelope said, quickly jumping to her feet. "Let's go while I'm still in the mood."

They headed back out, finding all of team still inside their tents and unaware of Derek and Penelope leaving the group. Soon they were running through the woods, hand in hand, ready to find somewhere secluded for some fun of their own…

* * *

Reid regretted not telling the team he and JJ were together. If he had, he would be sharing a tent with her tonight and not his boss. As much as he respected Hotch, the man simply wasn't the roommate he'd been hoping for. Especially in this cramped tent that forced their sleeping bags right beside each other.

"Sorry for the tight space," Hotch was saying. "This was the only tent we had. Haley and I used to camp out all the time when we were teenagers. And, well, we liked the small space."

"It's fine," Reid said. He was thumbing through a stack of maps and debating where the best place to fish for dinner was. It was better than wondering what JJ and Kate were doing on the other side of their semi-circle. Probably having the time of their lives, Reid figured.

His phone buzzed then and he dug it out of his pocket. It was surprising he even had service out here. _Miss you, _it read. _Wish you were my sleep mate for tonight. _It was JJ.

_Me too, _he answered. _We need to tell them the truth. Though I don't know what Kate would do if we had a tent together. Sleep with Hotch?_

_It's possible. But I doubt it. Kate would probably bring her own tent or room with Rossi. They seem to get along well. _

_True that._

Slipping his phone back in his bag, he watched as Hotch studied the maps. "Let's head to the north part of the lake," he said finally. We'll get the boys too."

Rossi, Kate and JJ soon joined them. After checking Derek and Penelope's tent, they realized they were long gone. "I know Morgan was hungry, but leaving without us is almost being selfish!" Kate joked as they headed down to the lake, following the yells of Jack and Henry.

"Are you okay?" Kate asked JJ in a lower voice a minute later. The men were a little ways ahead. "You seem a little pale."

She nodded. "I'm fine," she said. "I'm just a little nauseous from the long hike and hot weather is all. I'm sure I'll feel better after dinner."

Hotch and Rossi did the fishing. Kate had tried at first, but gave up in defeat and rejoined JJ and Reid on the sidelines. They dangled their feet in the water, talking and wondering where Morgan and Garcia had gone. It was strange of them to leave without the group.

Just then a scream interrupted the tranquility of the woods.

**A/N: Review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Hope you all enjoy! **

The scream pierced the air, making them all jump in surprise. The birds in the surrounding trees flew off immediately in fear.

"Stay here with the boys!" Hotch practically barked at JJ and Reid, who were happy to finally be alone and together. "Kate! Rossi! Let's go!"

They ran up the hill and disappeared out of sight. JJ turned to Reid: "What do you think is going on?" she asked. "I thought we were the only ones in this area."

"Apparently not," Reid said, pulling the blonde closer to him. It seemed his earlier fear was coming true. Something was lurking out in these woods. "This is why I hate the woods, you know."

"Me too," she whispered. "I've always been afraid of them. I'm not as scared with you here of course. And all of my other BAU protectors."

Reid had to smile. JJ always knew how to flatter him. "By the way, how did your doctor's appointment go yesterday? Did they give you medication to feel better?"

"Not exactly," she responded, seeming almost nervous. "They said...that I've had a stomach flu of sorts this week, but I'm not contagious anymore. It's just this hot weather that makes me feel under the weather again."

"I hope you feel better soon," he said, wrapping his arm around her.

They didn't say much more for a few minutes while they watched Jack and Henry make another round of the lake. They were simply too preoccupied with their game to notice the couple.

"I'm going to get you, Jack!" Henry yelled, running after him in the water. Apparently the lake was waist deep to the kids. "You just wait and see!"

"You can't catch me!" Jack yelled back, going out into the deeper water. It was up to his chest now. "You're too short to come out here! Better learn to swim, Henry!"

Henry's entire face was turning bright red. He hated to be teased about his inability to swim. He'd taken lessons, but hadn't caught on quite yet. Jack was really starting to embarrass him. "It isn't funny, Jack!" he yelled, almost in tears. "Come back!"

The older boy only shook his head, watching as Henry grew more and more angry. "Nope," he said. "I like it out here."

Back on the shore, Reid turned to JJ: "Should I go out there and get them?" he asked. "I don't want Henry trying to swim after him."

"You better," JJ replied, knowing her son's temper. "At this rate, he'll be heading out any minute."

Reid quickly slipped off his shoes and headed into the water. Making sure not to startle them, he called out before reaching them: "Hey you two, what's with all the fighting?"

"Jack doesn't want to play fair," Henry mumbled. "He's being mean."

"Jack?" Reid asked, peering at the older boy. He wasn't smiling anymore. "Are you being mean to Henry?"

"No," he insisted. "I'm trying to teach him how to swim."

"Whatever!" Henry cried, his entire face turning tomato red. It looked like it would explode. "You're mean, Jack Hotchner!"

Reid took a deep breath, trying to think of a way to calm Henry down and get Jack back on good behavior. Apparently they had noticed the team was gone. "Henry, why don't you come sit with your mom and me?" Reid said. "Jack, I suggest you apologize to Henry before your dad comes back. I'd hate to have to tell him this."

Jack hung his head. "I'm sorry, Henry."

Henry only turned and headed out of the water with Reid right behind him. Jack stayed behind to play alone in the deeper end.

When they reached JJ, Reid realized she was crying. "What's wrong?" he asked, suddenly concerned. "Are you alright? Did something happen?"

"Nothing, nothing," JJ said. "I'm fine really. Are you doing better now, Henry?"

The boy only nodded and sat beside his mother. Then, in the cutest way possible that only Henry could muster, "Mommy, Spencer is seriously the best. When are you guys going to get married?"

That was all it took for JJ to start crying again, surprising both of them. "What did I say?" Henry asked. "I was just stating a fact."

"JJ, what is it?" Reid asked. "Just tell me."

She jumped to her feet then, rubbing the tears away forcefully. "It's _nothing. _I promise. Let's go back to campsite to wait for the team. I'm sure they'll be back any minute."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," she said. "Really." Then, she yelled: "C'mon Jack! Let's head back to wait for everyone!"

Jack instantly came out of the water. He knew not to mess with JJ, especially after not being nice to Henry. They all trudged back up the hill to the campsite, where they waited for the team.

"What's taking so long?" Jack complained. "I'm _hungry."_

"That's a good question," Reid said. "They've been gone for a while. It must've been serious."

They all looked in the direction of the scream, wondering what in the heck was going on in these woods.

* * *

Back on the other side of the woods, they'd finally found a spot to do the nasty. Penelope grinned back at him wickedly, giggling at the prospect of having sex outside. "What about here?"

"Perfect," he answered, practically slamming her into a tree.

They were kissing like the woods were on fire. Penelope could hardly believe they were doing this. Someone could walk by and catch them at any moment, but that only seemed to make it hotter. They had truly lost their minds.

She pulled back a little to look at him. He had already unbuttoned her blouse almost completely and his shirt was off.

It was then that she saw it. Penelope pushed him back, hand over her mouth, eyes wide in fear.

"What is it?" Derek asked. "Wasn't this what you…"

Penelope cut him off by screaming at the top of her lungs. Then, in answer to his question, she pointed at a furry spider that was crawling down his head. She was speechless.

Derek screamed too. "Get it off!" he yelled at her. He tried to swat at it but missed. "Penelope!"

The tech took off into the woods, not turning around. She'd always had a fear of spiders and was definitely not touching that furry thing. It looked poisonous. Maybe she could find a stick or something to get it off with. No matter what, she was not touching it with her bare hands.

Derek ran around her then, causing her to look at him in surprise. "What are you doing?" she yelled. "Going to see if Hotch will get that thing off your head?"

He didn't answer. She watched as he jumped into a smaller version of the lake. She started laughing hysterically. Apparently even studs like Derek Morgan were afraid of furry spiders like that one.

"It isn't funny, Penelope!" he said when he resurfaced. "Don't laugh at me."

"I can't help it!"

Wordlessly, Derek jumped out of the water and chased a shrieking Penelope back into the trees. They practically tumbled on top of each other. "Now, back to where we left off," Derek said, leaning down to kiss her.

"What are you guys doing?" came a booming voice.

"Isn't it a little obvious what they're doing?" came another reply. It sounded feminine.

The two practically jumped out of their skin. Penelope pushed Derek off of her, and grinned sheepishly at her BAU friends. "Fancy meeting you three here."

Hotch only narrowed his eyes at them. He was catching on to the facts quickly. Penelope had leaves stuck in her hair, her blouse was unbuttoned, and her lipstick was smeared all over her face. Also, the bulge in Derek's pants hinted that they were up to no good.

"Are you crazy? There's people camping in this area! Some of them have kids!" Hotch almost yelled. "What do you have to say for yourselves?"

The couple only glanced at each other, not sure how to respond to their boss. Hotch was beyond pissed, but Rossi and Kate seemed like they were trying their hardest not to laugh. They knew Hotch were turn on them in a second.

"Well," Penelope said. "We were kind of horny. And we didn't want to do anything around all of you guys, you know. Especially with Jack and Henry and even you there, boss man... "

"Penelope, please shut up," Derek mumbled, knowing Hotch wasn't really looking for an explanation. He just wanted to yell at them.

Their boss's hardening gaze only proved this would be a long evening.

**A/N: Review me! Tell me what you want to happen next! Next chapter will focus on Kate and Rossi more and the secrets they may be hiding!**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hope y'all love the update!**

After Hotch finished his rant, Penelope and Derek followed him back to the campsite. Kate and Rossi were on their heels as well, whispering among themselves.

"I've never seen Hotch so mad before," Kate whispered to the older man, nudging him as they walked. "Is he usually like this?"

"Only on certain occasions," Rossi replied. "He calms down fast though. Give him about twenty minutes and he'll be singing another tune entirely."

She digested that for a second. "I sure hope you're right," Kate said. "Otherwise this is going to make for a long vacation, especially for Morgan and Garcia."

"Oh, I'm sure they'll find a way to cope," he joked. "They've always been like this. Not to this extreme, but this isn't the most surprising thing to happen to the team."

"_I_ was surprised," Kate babbled. "I mean, who has sex in the woods? It seems...unsanitary. What if you roll around in poison ivy or someone catches you? Talk about embarrassing."

Rossi laughed then. "And that's why Hotch is so mad at them. If they were caught by people walking by, that would look bad on the FBI."

"True," she said. They walked a little ways before she turned to him. "Okay, Rossi, spill. I know you're hiding something. Your behavior is all over the place."

"_Moi?" _the Italian said in shock, but couldn't hide his smile. "Alright, you get an A. I have a secret."

"What is it?" Kate asked. They were separate from the group then. Then: "Tell me!"

"I'm the one who planted the spider on Morgan and Garcia," Rossi said. "Don't tell a soul."

"You followed them and watched them do it?" Kate shrieked. "That's disgusting!"

"What?" he cried. "No, no! I put the spider in the beanie Derek was wearing before they left. He had it sitting outside their tent opening and I couldn't resist."

Kate stared at him in shock. Derek had been wearing a beanie throughout the hike because he was afraid of getting his head sunburned. "I take precautions," he had said to Garcia, who had teased him to no end about his new look.

"Where'd you get the spider?"

"The little guy was in my tent," Rossi said, hardly able to speak without laughing. "I couldn't help myself. It was there and I could hear them talking about how horny they were. It was the perfect prank."

Kate playfully punched him in the arm. "You're awful!" she said. "You scared them to death!"

"A guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do," he said, starting the trek back to the campsite again. "While we're on the subject of behavior, though, you have a secret too, Callahan."

"Do I?"

"Yep," Rossi said. "You've been absentmindedly looking at your phone all day. That signals to me that you're expecting a call or some news. You've also cut your hair shorter, which most women tend to do after a significant event in their lives."

"Is that all you got?" Kate asked laughing. "C'mon Rossi. You can do better than that. What's my secret?"

"Well," he started. "You haven't talked about Chris in months. He doesn't drop by the office or bring you coffee anymore. You've stopped wearing your wedding ring." He nodded to her left hand. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you and Chris weren't together anymore."

"Damn profilers," she said. Then: "Chris signed the divorce papers today."

* * *

Hotch strode into the campsite, where Reid was sitting beside a small fire with the boys. "Hey," the genius said. "Everything alright Hotch?"

"Ask the horndogs back there," he said, jerking his head in the direction of Derek and Penelope. They'd been following him like kids on their way to detention.

"Wait up Daddy," Jack yelled, following his Dad back down to the lake. It seemed that Hotch needed room to cool off. "I wanna come with you!"

"Me too!" yelled Henry and the boys were off, leaving Reid, Derek, and Penelope alone.

"What did he say?" Reid asked. "Something about hotdogs?"

Derek only groaned loudly. "No," he said. "He called us horndogs."

"Horndogs?"

"We were having sex in the woods," Penelope said, her entire face aflame. "Well, trying to anyway."

"What?" Reid cried. "That's disgusting! Haven't you ever heard of the things you can catch out here? Not to mention the statistics behind having sex outside…"

"Reid," Derek interrupted. "Please. I've had enough embarrassment and lecture today. Hotch has already told us everything you could want to."

Derek couldn't be more glad for his dark complexion right then. His entire face was heating up, and he knew his embarrassment would show if he was lighter. Poor Penelope's face was almost purple she was so humiliated.

"I can't get the image out of my head," Penelope finally said. "Hotch saw us doing it. I wonder how much he actually _saw_. I mean, the three of them were standing there watching us. How long were they there?"

"I wonder if he saw your privates," Reid said.

"Privates?" Derek said laughing. "Reid this isn't junior high. You can use their anatomical names."

"I'd rather not," he said, knowing Derek would tease him if he used their actual names. It just didn't sound right coming out of the genius's mouth. "Well, did he?"

"I don't think so," Penelope answered. "My shirt was undone, but I still had my bra on. Both of us were still wearing our pants. We were just...well, getting ready to undress."

Reid seemed like he was sympathetic toward them. "Hotch should calm down soon," he said. "It looks like they're down there fishing."

Penelope peered through the trees to see what the boys were doing. They were fishing for supper with Hotch, so she decided they shouldn't disturb them. They definitely wanted Hotch to be calmer for dinner.

"I'm going to go change for dinner," she said. "My clothes are a little muddy from before. I'll be back."

Penelope headed for the tent then, holding her hair back in a ponytail with one hand. It seemed like it was getting warmer outside than cooler. Hoping there was a hair tie in her bag, she opened the tent flap and gasped at the sight in front of her.

"Oh my gosh!" she yelled. "There's been an animal of some sort in here."

* * *

When JJ heard Penelope and Derek returning, she'd hurried off to the top of the hill. She had invaded their snack stash while Reid was playing with the kids.

Why had Penelope brought along so much food? It was like she and Derek had planned on starving out in the woods. They had brownies, cookies, and skittles. It was like a candy store in a knapsack.

They didn't seem like the type to bring along so much junk food. Penelope usually swore off sugary foods because they made her face break out. Derek simply worked to keep his figure.

JJ had just been so hungry after their lake adventure. She'd been craving sweets since her nausea subsided, and Penelope had just packed so many snacks.

Maybe they wouldn't notice some of their food was gone.

Trout honestly didn't seem that appetizing to her. It made her feel sick to her stomach just imagining the trout being cooked. This food stash was much better. Besides, JJ didn't want to get nauseous again.

She was eating through her handful of M&amp;M's when she heard Penelope heading back to her tent. _Oh no, _JJ thought. _She's going to realize all her food is gone._

JJ hurried back down the hill, careful not to let the three of them see her. Then she slowly slipped the food bag back inside before Penelope reached the tent. Since she was turned around talking to Derek and Reid, she didn't notice the blonde practically throwing the bag inside and scurrying off to her own tent.

"Oh my gosh!" Penelope yelled. JJ could hear her yell from inside the tent on the other side of the campsite. "There's been some type of animal in here."

_I'm home free, _JJ thought, doing a little dance from her perch in the middle of the tent. Then her eyes fell on another figure that was in the tent with her.

_Or not, _she thought suddenly and said: "Fancy meeting you here."

**A/N: Hope everyone enjoyed! Thanks for all the reviews! More to come soon! Next chapter will focus more on Hotch and why he's so upset! And JJ of course!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thanks to everyone for all the reviews, follows, and favorites. It means the world. Here's the next chapter. **

Derek and Reid were instantly at Penelope's side, staring down at the opened bags and scattered candy. "My god," Reid said. "Were you guys planning to pig out or something tonight?"

Penelope's face instantly colored. "We wanted a midnight snack in case we got hungry," she explained. " C'mon Reid. You know my sweet tooth. I need my sugar to operate, especially when Wi-Fi isn't an option."

"The brownies were mine," Derek admitted. "I made them myself. Two layers of chocolate goodness smothered with tons of sugar."

"My trophy boyfriend," Penelope said beaming up at him. "I could throttle whoever ate those. I was looking forward to biting into that gooey goodness."

Reid bent down, picking up one of the wrappers between two fingers. "Your cholesterol is seriously thanking the perpetrator right now," he said. "But a raccoon isn't who invaded you. Otherwise there would be bite marks on the wrappers."

The couple looked confused, so Reid went on to explain. "Whoever invaded your candy stash was human. Otherwise we could see pawprints or the bags would be ripped to pieces."

"Someone did this?" Derek said disbelievingly. "Who would steal from us?"

"I don't know," the genius replied honestly. "I've been here the entire time with the boys. All we've been doing is sitting at the fire and telling ghost stories. Neither of them even got up."

"Where was JJ?" Penelope asked. "Wasn't she with you?"

"Yes," he said, nodding toward the tent on the other end. "She's been in there most of the time though. She hasn't been feeling the greatest today. She's nauseous."

"I'll go talk with her," Penelope said. "You guys keep digging for clues, my beautiful behavioral analysts. I want to know who stole my goodies!"

"We're on it, goddess," Derek promised, kissing her cheek. "Hurry back to me."

"Will do, my love."

With that said, she scurried off to JJ's tent to talk with the blonde. Surely JJ would have noticed if one of the boys slipped inside their tent to take some candy. Penelope certainly didn't mind if they were the ones who needed the sugar rush, as she loved her godson and Jack. They were absolutely adorable. Although if they were the thieves they would be bouncing off the trees later. _Maybe it was an animal with human-like hands, _she reasoned. Did gorillas live in these parts? She'd never been the best with animal science and geography. _I'm pretty sure that's more of an African animal, _Penelope thought to herself. _You definitely do not want your inner blonde showing tonight._

When she got closer to the tent, Penelope could hear JJ talking inside. Figuring she was on the phone, she waited, not wanting to interrupt.

"I know I still haven't told anyone," JJ was saying. "I just...I don't know how. I'm not even sure how to tell your dad, and I know him better than anyone. All I know is that I love you. I'll get around to telling them all someday."

She stopped talking for a minute. Penelope peered through the tent opening, careful not to let JJ see her watching. Apparently she was talking to a _photograph. _Henry wasn't in the tent with her. He was still at the lake with Hotch and Jack. "Can you believe I've gotten away with it, so far? They actually think that I'm sick from the heat. They're all profilers too, except for the boys and Garcia."

Who in the heck was JJ talking to? Penelope continued to listen, trying to see who the photograph was of. That would definitely help the tech figure out what was going on.

* * *

"Don't tell anyone about Chris and me," Kate said, turning back to Rossi. They were at the campsite now. "I'm not ready for people to know yet."

"My lips are sealed," the older man said, making the motion of zipping his lips and throwing away the key. "It's your news, not mine. Besides, I know for myself how stressful a divorce can be."

"Right," she said, smacking her forehead. "You've been married three times. I completely forgot. I'm sorry."

Rossi waved her off. "It's fine. I don't expect you to keep my history memorized. That'd be much too hard with a team the size of ours. Just remember you have someone to talk to if you need. My door is always open to you. Well, in this case, a tent."

"Thanks," Kate said. "I really appreciate it."

Rossi headed over then to talk with Derek and Reid, who were standing around discussing something intently. JJ and Penelope were nowhere to be found. Deciding to head for the lake, Kate made her way down the path.

Hotch was sitting on the side, fishing pole in the water, while the boys were lugging a bucket of fish they'd already caught up the hill. "Hi Kate!" they both said in unison, their smiles transforming their faces.

She smiled and greeted them back. Even though this trip was her first time meeting either of them, the kids were crazy about her already. They even called her Auntie Kate sometimes.

"Hotch?" Kate said, approaching her boss. She was at the lake now. "How many more fish need to be caught for dinner? I think the team's getting antsy."

When he didn't answer, Kate walked over to his side and sat down. Peering closer, she saw that he was crying.

"Aaron?" she said. "My gosh, what happened?"

It took him a minute to answer. He was obviously embarrassed she'd seen him in his moment of weakness, but she passed no judgment. "Is everything alright?"

He sighed. Then, slowly: "I just...I realized that today is the anniversary of Haley's death. Jack reminded me."

"Oh," Kate said quietly. "_Oh. _Aaron, I'm so sorry."

Suddenly Hotch had turned and buried his face in her shoulder. His entire body seemed to be shaking. "It'll be okay," she said comfortingly. Then: "Is Jack upset too?"

Hotch pulled back to talk. "No," he said. "We were just fishing and he reminded me. I guess I've been so busy I forgot the date. I haven't had a minute to stop and think. Otherwise I would've remembered on my own."

"It has been a busy day," Kate said. "We hiked for a long time, Aaron. Then you set up and now you're fishing for dinner. That's why you didn't remember the date. You haven't had time to think about it."

"I still feel bad," he said. "I feel horrible. I shouldn't forget that this day was the worst one in my and Jack's lives. It's unfair to all of us."

"You didn't forget though," Kate said. "Jack reminded you. You're thinking of it now. Besides, if you hadn't been so preoccupied with other things, you would've remembered too."

"I guess it has been a busy day."

"Especially for some members of the team," Kate joked. "Some of us had business of our own to keep us busy."

She finally got him to smile. It was a small and totally Hotch-like smile, but it was a lift in his mood. "I was too hard on them, wasn't I?" he said. When Kate sheepishly nodded, he continued: "I figured so. Could I really expect less of Morgan and Garcia? They've always been sexually charged to a level I couldn't even comprehend. I shouldn't judge them for that."

"What made you so mad?" Kate bravely asked. "I mean, you went off back there Hotch. I think even Morgan was a little afraid of you."

Hotch looked up at the sky. He seemed unsure if he wanted to tell her or not. Finally, he said slowly: "I guess I've known all week that this is the anniversary of Haley's death. It's put me more on edge than usual. I guess...I guess I was a little jealous of Morgan and Garcia."

"Jealous?"

"It's been so long for me," Hotch said. "I haven't been with anyone since Haley died. Between work and Jack, I really don't have free time to run off into the woods and romp around."

Kate couldn't help but giggle. "Are you confessing what I think you're confessing?"

"Yes," he said. "I haven't had sex since before Haley died. Even then, it had been weeks before. We were divorced, but we were still together. It's definitely been five years."

"What about Beth?" Kate said. "You guys went out for a while. Didn't you...well, do anything?"

"We didn't" Hotch said. "We tried to, but it was too awkward. I wasn't turned on by her, and she wasn't what I was used to. I guess I was missing Haley that night. I don't know." He stopped a minute. "Beth and I broke up a while ago. We both knew it wasn't working."

Kate waited before responding. "I'm sorry?" she finally said. "If you weren't happy, I'm glad you got out of the relationship. It's better to do that than to lead someone on."

Before Hotch could answer, they felt a jolt beneath them. Kate looked down, trying to figure out why the ground felt so shaky, when the corner they'd been sitting on fell into the lake, taking them with it.

"No!" Kate shrieked, hitting the water with a massive splash. "I can't swim! I can't swim!"

"I've got you," she heard Hotch say. "Quit kicking so much Kate. The water isn't completely over your head. It's only up to my waist."

Placing a hand beneath her, he righted the brunette into the standing position. She was still a little breathless from the fall. "Thank you," she said. "I've always been a little afraid of water."

"It's no problem," Hotch said, feeling a certain feeling in his bones he hadn't felt in a while. "Are you okay now?"

"Yeah," she replied. "I think so."

Neither of them moved. Hotch suddenly realized he was really turned on by Kate right then. Her clothes were soaked, and it was showing every curve of her body. Her hair was half wet, and it fell all around her face, making her look even more seductive.

She started to say something and stopped. There was a certain look in Hotch's eyes that she recognized even though she'd never seen it before. It was like his dark eyes had darkened even more to hide something.

Kate reached up to brush a strand of hair out of her face. It was then that Hotch noticed she wasn't wearing her wedding ring.

He practically attacked her with a kiss right then.

**A/N: Don't forget to review! I'm going to focus more on JJ next chapter! Also, Morgan and Garcia will do something crazy before the story's over, no worries!**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here you go!**

She was still talking to the picture.

Penelope stood outside, in a sort of awkward squat, trying to listen to what JJ was saying. Was her friend mentally ill? Why was she talking to an inanimate object? It was as if the photograph was a person that JJ was conversing with. Heck, she was even cooing a little to it.

Penelope couldn't stand being quiet another second. She cleared her throat, immediately getting JJ's attention. "Are you okay?" she asked, crawling inside."Who are you talking to?"

JJ jumped. She hadn't known Penelope was nearby or that she was talking loudly enough to be heard. "No one," she said. "Just to myself."

"C'mon JJ," Penelope said. "I heard you. Who's the photograph of?"

She glanced at her friend, knowing Penelope wouldn't judge her for what she was about to confess. They had the kind of relationship where they could tell each other practically anything. Besides, she couldn't hide this much longer.

She held out the picture in answer. The tech took it from her and studied it. "This is an ultrasound sonogram," Penelope said slowly. Then: "Oh my god. Are you pregs?"

JJ nodded and shushed her. "Not so loud. No one knows about it yet. You're the only person I've told so far."

"Why?" Penelope whispered in shock. "This is _wonderful _news, JJ. You and Will are going to be parents again! I'm sure Henry will be excited too."

When Will's name left Penelope's mouth, JJ's entire body stiffened and her expression changed. "Penelope," she said. "That's the thing. This baby...isn't Will's."

Her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open. "Did you cheat?" she asked. "Not on my favorite southerner! You know I don't condone cheating in the slightest…

"No, no!" JJ said, interrupting her ramble. "We've been separated for months now. It just isn't something that we want to broadcast to the world quite yet. Henry wasn't too happy about us breaking up."

"Well, who's the father then?" Penelope whispered fiercely. "Is it someone I know?"

It was the way her eyes flickered to the tent opening that gave her away. Penelope gasped. "Oh my god," she said. "Is it _Reid's_?"

"Yes," JJ said. "Reid's the father."

She wasn't sure how she expected Penelope to react. After all, Penelope had loved Will from the start and welcomed him into their little BAU family. They were friends too. Good ones at that. How would she feel about JJ having a baby with someone else, even if it was Reid?

Suddenly the tech was squealing and flailing her hands every which way. "I'm so excited!" she cried. "I hope it's a girl! I need a niece to add in with all these nephews."

Before JJ could shush her again, someone crawled into the tent between them. They practically dove into between them, and the friends moved to make room for them.

"Alright," they said. "Who's pregnant?"

The only thing the two women could do was stare at each other. What were they going to do?

* * *

Kate pulled away from Hotch. "Aaron," she said. "Not here. Not in the lake. The team…" She stopped while he kissed her again. "The team is only at the top of the hill."

The mention of the team seemed to slow him down a little. Remembering Jack and his coworkers, he backed off. "Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean...I hope…"

His voice trailed off. Why was he apologizing? He wasn't sorry he had kissed Kate. He couldn't be happier about it.

"You're fine," Kate said. "I kissed you back. It wasn't all you."

"Where's your ring?" Hotch asked, nodding at her hand. "That's...that's why I kissed you. I don't normally go around kissing married women."

She smiled a little. "I'm no longer a married woman," she said. "Chris and I are divorcing. He signed the papers today and had them faxed to my lawyer."

"Well," Hotch said. "How do you feel about that?"

Kate thought a minute before answering. "I'm happy," she said. "I'm glad that we're moving on with our lives."

"Well," Hotch said, reaching for her hand. "Let's move on together."

Kate grinned up at him. "Right after you, bossman," she said flirtatiously.

Hotch stepped up out of the lake, reaching back for Kate's hand. Once she was up out of the water, they started up the hill at the campsite, trying to find motivation to go back.

"Tonight," Hotch said barely over a whisper. "We'll sneak off."

Kate laughed out loud. "Are you taking a page out of Derek's playbook?" she said. "Sounds like someone was pretty jealous."

"I want to have some fun too," he said. "Leave your tent open. Unless you want to change roommates."

Kate smacked his arm playfully and headed up the hill. "We'll figure that out later," she said. "Who knows? Maybe you'll like sleeping with Reid."

They joined the team back at the campsite then. The fish was cooked and being loaded onto paper plates. Jack, when Hotch was in sight, slammed himself into his father. "Daddy, you're back!" he cried happily. "Look at our dinner! We have fish and Aunt Penelope brought cookies!"

Kate could only smile at the two of them. She watched as Hotch pushed hair back out of Jack's face, asking what kind of cookies Penelope had packed. Apparently both peanut butter and macadamia nut.

She was so engrossed with watching Hotch that she didn't notice Rossi standing beside her at first. "Hello Kate," the older man greeted. "Having a fun time?"

"Yes," she said. "I love it out here. It's so peaceful, you know? We don't really see a lot of that back at the office."

"There's a lot we don't see back at the office," Rossi said. Then, looking more intently at her: "I saw you."

Kate's face instantly turned red. "What are you talking about?"

"I saw you and Hotch," Rossi said. "Down at the lake kissing."

Kate's mouth fell open. "Rossi, I can explain…"

He held his hands up in surrender. "It's completely your business," he said. "But what are you two _thinking_? He's your boss!"

All Kate could do was hang her head in shame.

**A/N: It's a little short, but I wanted to update! Review me! **


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: Here you go! I promise Rossi has good reasons for getting on to Kate. Enjoy!**

JJ and Penelope only looked at their intruder in shock. How could he have heard their conversation? They were barely speaking above whispers the entire time, yet somehow Derek Morgan had heard everything except the obvious.

"Who's pregnant?" Penelope finally scoffed, giving him a look. "You actually think it could be me?"

"Well, yeah," Derek said. "It's a possibility. We're pretty active in the bedroom, Baby Girl."

"Too much information!" JJ cried, covering her ears and trying to force the pictures of Morgan and Garcia out of her head. "Talk about something else!"

Penelope snickered at JJ, who looked as embarrassed as Reid when sex was brought into the conversation. Apparently they were a perfect match, even more so than Penelope had noticed.

She pursed her lips at Derek. "No, my love, I am not the one who's carrying a bun in the oven," she said. "Our genetically perfect embryo has yet to be conceived. JJ, however, is stuffed like a turkey on Thanksgiving day."

Derek turned to JJ and grinned. "Really?" he asked and she nodded. "Congratulations," he said. "You and Reid must be really happy about this."

"He doesn't know yet!" JJ said and suddenly realized that she needed to tell him right then. How could she have told two other members of the BAU team and not her beloved? "I'll be right back!"

The blonde dashed out of the tent, practically knocking Derek over when she crawled across him and Penelope.

Once she was gone, Penelope looked at Derek strangely. "How did you know?" she asked.

"About what?"

"JJ and Will!" she whispered. "I didn't even know they'd broken up, much less that her and genius boy were together! Why am I suddenly the one who's out of the loop?"

"Baby," Derek started. "They've been keeping it on the down low. Reid told me on the way here about them."

"What did he say?" she asked. She hadn't had a chance to talk with her favorite genius yet.

"That they were very happy," he said. "He wanted my advice on telling Rossi and Hotch."

"And?" Penelope prompted. "What did you say?"

"I told him to spring it on them in surprise," Derek said. "That's what we did and they've been completely accepting of us."

"Everyone accepted us but that crazy lady," she grumbled. "Whatever her name is who blasts us during seminars. I mean, my goodness, even Kevin ships us together! How can she not love us?"

Derek laughed. "Well, Baby Girl, we are pretty cute together if I do say so myself. The lady must be blind."

She rolled her eyes at him playfully. "I can't believe you thought I was the pregnant one. What were you doing, out there trying to overhear what was being said? If so, you are horrible at eavesdropping."

"No," he said. "I honestly could just tell by your voices that something was up. I figured if I made a joke about one of you being pregnant you two would tell me what was going on."

"You were _joking?" _Penelope shrieked. "You blindly guessed and we told you?"

Derek really laughed this time. Yes," he said and practically doubled over while Penelope's eyes went into slits and she crossed her arms. He was going to wind up in the doghouse at this rate.

"How did you do that?" she asked. "You're so good at profiling now that you can read minds too?"

"No, " he said. "I'm still the same behavioral analyst that you know and love."

"Derek, you're magical! " Penelope insisted. "Are you sure that profilers can't get into Hogwarts?"

"You give me too much credit, baby," he said and kissed her. "I swear it was just a lucky guess. Besides, you're pretty magical when it comes to computers. You're a whiz."

"Is that the best word you can think of to describe me in my element?" Penelope asked. "I'm offended."

"Fine," Derek said. "You're brilliant, tech-savvy, and completely bat-shit crazy when it comes to Adobe photoshop and pictures of me in chaps…"

"Did I mention I made more of them?" she interrupted with a grin.

"Baby," Derek groaned. "The wrong person is going to stumble across those photographs and think they're real."

"Well, don't we want them to see the real thing?" Penelope asked. "Besides, if the Wicked Witch of Seminars is going to be breathing down our necks, shouldn't she see what you actually look like?"

"Nice try," he said. "I'm not letting you take pictures of me in chaps no matter how much you threaten me."

"Mhm," she said. "We'll see about that."

They continued to flirt back and forth, completely unaware of what was going on outside the tent with JJ and Reid, and all the other members of the team...

* * *

JJ found Reid chowing down on trout with Jack and Henry. Hotch was also with them, while Kate and Rossi were nowhere to be found.

She smiled at Reid. "Hey you," she said. "Want to take a quick walk?"

He nodded as he forked up a final bite. Then he followed her into the trees where they could have some privacy and time to talk. "Are you feeling any better?" he asked. "We have more fish back there if you're hungry."

"A little," JJ admitted. "I'll probably pass on the fish for tonight though. It doesn't sound all that appetizing, and I really don't want to get sick."

"Maybe you should go to the doctor," Reid said concerned. "I mean, what's it been now? Two weeks and no change? It could be something serious."

She was glad he'd given her an opening. "That's what I wanted to talk about," she said, stopping to take both his hands. "I know why I keep getting sick so much."

"Why?" Reid asked, going through a bunch of scenrios in his head. Was it stomach flu? Stomach _cancer? _He couldn't be losing JJ already after only having her for so short of time.

"I'm pregnant," JJ said quickly. She didn't want to lose her nerve or chicken out entirely. "I've only known for a few days myself, and I was trying to wait until after this trip to come clean."

She watched the emotions cross his face. Shock, disbelief, and then, pure happiness.

A lopsided grin crossed his face. "Really?" he said. "Why didn't I figure that? I mean, I've been reading books on what causes nausea and was scared it was cancer. I never...I thought...Wow."

He scratched his head and looked sheepishly at her. "How far along are you?" Reid asked.

"Nine weeks," JJ said.

He glanced at her stomach, which was still completely flat and toned the way she liked. He could hardly believe that JJ was pregnant with _his _child. It seemed his dream of starting a family with her was coming true.

"Wow," he said. "Does, uh, Will know?"

"No," she said. "I haven't seen him in weeks. He hasn't even called about Henry."

Reid instantly felt the anger swelling up in his chest, but he hid it from JJ well. It really ticked him off sometimes the way that Will treated JJ and Henry, especially since Henry was still young and needing his father around. Trying to distract himself, he changed the subject.

"We probably need to tell Hotch soon, huh?" Reid asked. "He probably won't be too happy though after what happened with Morgan and Garcia."

"The hotdogs, you mean?" JJ joked. "I can't believe you said that."

"I really thought that's what he said!" Reid cried. "When Hotch is mad, he mumbles! It's a bad habit of his. He needs to work on it, or people are going to keep misunderstanding him!"

JJ only laughed and hugged him. She was so happy that he finally knew about her little secret, and that she didn't have to hide it anymore. "Well," she said. "You and I have some news to tell. Should we go get Henry and tell him he's a big brother?"

"Let's go find him," he said. "Be warned that we may have some trouble getting him and Jack apart. They're inseparable."

"Threaten him then," JJ said giggling. "Say that he'll have no television privileges if he doesn't come walk with us. You have to get the practice sometime, Daddy."

The two headed off then, giddy and ready to let Henry in on their little secret.

* * *

Kate was super pissed. Who did Rossi think he was, anyway? She was a grown woman and could kiss any man she pleased. Even men like Aaron Hotchner who had the authority to make her go weak in the knees.

"Why is this your business?" she replied coldly, not missing a beat. "Remind me of that again."

"It's not my business," the older man said. "I know it's not."

"Then _what?"_

"Don't get me wrong," Rossi started. "You two would make an interesting couple. But Strauss's replacement is breathing down our necks right now with Morgan and Garcia. I don't know if she could handle another hookup in our department."

"The dragon is still mad about Morgan and Garcia?" Kate asked in disbelief. None of them had bothered to learn the lady's name at this point. "They've been together for months now!"

"I know," Rossi said. "She's not like Erin in that regard. Erin didn't mind the employee fraternization very much at all. She just didn't want them flirting over the phone because the calls can be monitored at random. She was afraid the wrong boss would hear and fire us all."

Kate suddenly missed Strauss right at that moment. She had only know her from afar, but the woman seemed miles better than their current boss lady. Apparently this chick lacked real emotions and heart.

"What can the heartless bitch actually do?" Kate said finally. "She isn't the one who fires and hires. She just makes up the rules and leads sexual harassment seminars."

"Kate," he said. "That's the thing. She doesn't have the ability to fire and hire. However, she can do one thing that's even worse than firing one of us."

The burnette's eyebrows shot up. "What is that?" she asked. "What can she do?"

"She can disband the BAU," Rossi said. "Especially if she thinks we're too busy with other things to be following protocol. She has the authority to make that call, and it would put us all out of work."

_Shit, _Kate thought. _Shit. _

Before she could answer Rossi, JJ and Reid appeared suddenly at the campsite with Henry in tow. They were all holding hands. "We have an announcement," Reid said, his entire face flushed, but he was smiling. Everyone turned to look at them.

"We're having a baby!" they yelled in unison.

The entire team, including Jack and Hotch, erupted into screams and shouts. Derek and Penelope had came out of a tent and were crowding around the happy couple, everyone asking questions at once. All Kate and Rossi could do was share a look.

Would the ice queen really disband the BAU after an announcement like that?

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm glad that everyone likes this one so much! **

**A/N: New chapter will be up soon! **


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Thank you, thank you for all the reviews and feedback! It's much appreciated! Here's the new update! Just a reminder that the story is titled Secrets AND Lies so this chapter will be focusing on what lies the team will tell. Enjoy!**

_The next morning…_

When Kate woke up, she had momentarily forgotten Rossi's warning the night before. Her mind, still groggy from sleep, had yet to remember the fact the BAU could be disbanded at any moment because of their fraternization.

As soon as the memory hit her conscious, Kate groaned. She glanced over at JJ, her tentmate, happy the blonde was still sleeping and unaware of the turmoil the team would soon be under.

Kate nor Rossi hadn't the heart to tell anyone yet. After JJ and Reid's announcement, the team had all spent the evening celebrating and talking with the couple. Everyone was elated. "A new addition to the team!" Penelope had squealed time and time again. "We'll have a mini genius in our midst!"

The memory was enough to start Kate's anxiety again. How could anyone want to intrude on such a happy occasion, superior or not? Their other co-workers would find out about JJ and Reid soon, but they would be supportive. It was the main leader that would not be pleased. Most of them already knew about Morgan and Garcia, as they weren't the best at keeping secrets and the team was on thin ice as a result.

Would the higher ups have to know about her and Aaron though? They were both just lonely and available last night. It wasn't like Aaron had feelings for her beyond just friendship. He was her boss, for pete's sake. That would definitely not go over well at all.

Kate, not wanting to wake JJ, awkwardly climbed out of the tent and sat by the fire, staring at the burned remains of firewood from the night before. She was surprised no one else was up. Then again, they had all stayed up extremely late talking with JJ and Reid. Even the boys were up until midnight when Hotch finally forced them into their sleeping bags.

She hadn't noticed Aaron climbing out of his tent. He had been tossing and turning for hours, as he knew something was up with Kate. It was almost as if she was ignoring him. Kate had been careful to position herself wherever he wasn't, and she cut all the conversations between them short. Hotch had no idea what was going on.

She probably regretted the kiss, he realized. He looked over at Reid, who slept on the other side of the tent in the oddest position possible. Finally, after listening to him breathe for a couple of minutes, Hotch headed out into the morning air. He wasn't going to clear his head at this rate and needed to take a walk or something.

There she was.

Kate sat by the fire, seeming almost entranced by it. Not knowing if his approach would be welcomed or not, Hotch stood by his tent, wary of the burnette. Even after JJ and Reid's big announcement the night before, things were a little tense between them. Hotch hadn't the foggiest as to why though.

"Hello," he finally said. Then, clearing his throat: "Good morning."

Kate whirled around. She hadn't heard him coming. "Hi Hotch."

Not knowing what else to do, he sat beside her. He hadn't the slightest on what to say, but knew that they needed to talk. Something was bothering Kate.

"Kate," he began. "Is something wrong? You seem... distant."

She wouldn't look at him. "I just don't want what happened last night to happen again. It was wrong."

Aaron was surprised. He hadn't been expecting this from her at all. Then again, what was he expecting her to say? That she loved him? That she had moved on from Chris and was ready to be with someone else? All of it was highly unlikely to cross her lips.

A thousand questions began running through his head. Did she not feel the same way he did? Was the electric current that seemed to be flowing in the short space between them just a figment of his imagination?

"Wh-what?" he sputtered. "It was wrong for us to act on our true intentions?"

"Of course not," Kate said, trying to clarify. "But we shouldn't be acting this way. Fraternization is against the rules."

" We shouldn't have to lie to ourselves about how we feel," Hotch pointed out. "That isn't right either."

He tried to take her hands into his, but she wouldn't let him. She still wouldn't look him in the eye. "I just...I don't feel that way for you. Last night shouldn't have happened, and this is the last time I want to speak of it."

Kate stood up before he could react. She walked away, fist over her mouth, trying her hardest not to cry or turn around. She could hardly believe her own words. _It's for the team, _she reminded herself. _It's for JJ and Reid and their family. The dragon lady won't be as hard on them without another couple to piss her off more. Maybe this will save us._

Kate crawled back inside, trying to wipe the tears away discreetly. JJ had woken in her absence, and she studied the brunette carefully. Was she crying?

Finally, gently, JJ asked: "Kate, what's wrong?"

In response, Kate simply laid her head on JJ's shoulder, not sure how to break the news to her that the team was possibly doomed.

* * *

Derek and Penelope were on the other side of camp, snuggled into their sleeping bags, not wanting to get up for anything. They could hear the others up and talking, but their voices were too muffled to tell what they saying.

Finally, glancing over at his favorite tech, Derek said: "Penelope Garcia, I _know _you're awake. Your eyelids are fluttering around like crazy."

"Let me sleep, man thunder," Penelope whined, burrowing her face under a blanket. "You know I hate mornings."

It was true. Penelope, despite her bubbly behavior, absolutely despised being awake before noon. She could hardly stand Derek's morning demeanor. Why would anyone like waking up at six just to watch the sunrise and to go on a morning run? It was crazy.

She was so tired her mind could barely formulate sentences to flirt. "Man thunder?" Derek said laughing. "That's a new one. Is someone too sleepy to talk?"

"I'm tired," she said, her face scrunching up adorably. "Let me sleep."

Penelope always pretended to be asleep in the mornings. She said it was because she wasn't in the mood to carry on conversation, and would rather stay on the brink of being awake and asleep instead of having to wake up and function. She thought she was fooling him, but he could always tell when she was up. Usually he let her sleep, but Derek was bored.

"C'mon Baby Girl," he said and jostled her shoulder. "We'll only have a little time alone today. We're heading back to Quantico in a bit, and you know that Hotch won't let us be alone for a second after what happened yesterday."

Finally, giving up on falling back into dreamland, Penelope sat up and stretched. "Fine. You win." She reached for her glasses, a purple pair, and turned to face him. "You rang?"

He snickered. "I just wanted to talk to you while it's just the two of us. We'll have to be censored later with Jack and Henry around."

"True," she said, giggling, as Derek trailed kisses down her neck. He tried to push her back onto the sleeping bag, but she resisted. "We aren't doing it in this tent. I'm pretty sure if Hotch catches us, he'll probably faint this time."

Derek pulled back and suppressed a groan, not wanting to start something they couldn't finish either. He couldn't wait to get back to Quantico and have Penelope all to his self.

Trying to think of a safe conversation topic, he said: "I still can't believe JJ and Reid are having a baby," He ran a hand over his head. "I knew they were dating, but I didn't expect this at all."

"Well, it is a possibility when you have sex," Penelope said. "Remember middle school health class?" Then, she added darkly: "It can happen to _anyone."_

"Of course I do," he said, not picking up on her humor. "It's JJ and Reid who must not. I'm not the one who got you pregnant."

Penelope only snickered. "I'm happy for them. Especially Reid. He got his dream girl and a family. Two for the price of one."

"Well, I have my dream girl too and I couldn't be happier."

"You wouldn't want some kids too?" she asked playfully, even though the topic was important to her. "Is someone not ready to play daddy quite yet?"

"It's not for me," he said. "I get enough parenting experience with Jack and Henry. That and my sister's kids. Besides, I like what we have, and I don't want to complicate things."

Penelope thought her heart exploded right then. It certainly felt like it. "Yeah," she said. "That would be crazy. You, me, and a baby? We're much too wild and unpracticed for something like that."

Derek kissed her cheek. "Glad you see it my way," he said. "I'm going to get breakfast and see who's up. Do you want anything?"

"No," she said. "I'll be out in a minute."

Derek headed out, and Penelope could hear him talking with Hotch. Apparently their boss was upset about something too. She just didn't know what that something was.

How could Derek not want kids? They were uber adorable and sweet. Her two nephews had made her swoon numerous times in the last day, just by being their cute selves. How could Derek not fall in love with them? They were precious.

Suddenly a realization dawned on her. If she stayed with Derek, she wouldn't be able to have kids of her own either. She'd have to give up the prospect of being a mother someday. She wasn't sure if she wanted to do that.

Maybe Penelope's future wasn't with Derek Morgan after all, she realized. Maybe her life was elsewhere after all.

* * *

When Derek walked over to Hotch and Reid, who seemed to be the only others awake, he could tell something was amiss. Hoping he wasn't in trouble again, he asked: "What's going on?"

Hotch didn't even answer. He walked off quickly, as if being with the two men at once was something he couldn't bear. Derek looked at Reid quizzically.

"He's having problems," Reid explained. "In the, ah, love department."

"Really?" Derek asked. "I thought things were going great with him and Beth."

"Apparently not," the genius replied. "They broke up months ago. Hotch just didn't want to talk about it with anyone."

Derek raised an eyebrow. "So he can't get another girl?"

"No," he answered. "He did. The lady just didn't reciprocate his feelings, I guess. I'm not sure. He didn't tell, so I didn't ask."

Derek let that information sink in, watching his boss walk down to the lake. "Poor Hotch," he said. "I'm sure he can work things out with the woman. If not, there's plenty of fish in the sea."

They were quiet for a minute, as Jack and Henry were stumbling out of their tent, their hair practically in mohawks from sleep. "Your dad's right there by the lake," Reid said pointing. "If you want, he can walk you two to the bathroom."

They both nodded, heading off in the direction that Reid had pointed. Once they were gone, he turned back to Derek, who seemed completely distracted. He kept glancing back at his tent with Penelope.

"You look upset too," Reid said. "Is everything okay with you and Penelope?"

"Of course," he said. "Everything's perfect." Then: "At least I hope it will be."

"What do you mean?" Reid asked, his brow furrowing. Apparently everyone would be telling him their problems this morning.

"I lied to her," Derek said, barely above a whisper. "She put me on the spot, and I didn't know what to do. So I lied. I just...I didn't want her to know how I really felt."

"Why did you lie to her?" Reid asked. "What was so wrong with the truth?"

"Because sometimes Penelope terrifies the shit out of me," Derek replied honestly. "Especially when she talks about the future.

**A/N: Hope you guys liked! Don't forget to review. I'll try to update as soon as I'm able. Also, I'm planning on two more chapters after this. **


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Enjoy!**

JJ watched as the brunette wiped her tears away roughly. "I'm fine," she answered. "Really."

"What happened?" JJ asked. Then, when Kate was slow to respond: "Tell me!" JJ begged. "Did someone say something?"

She wrapped her arm around her friend's shoulders. Whatever the problem was, they could surely solve it together, couldn't they?

"We're doomed," Kate whispered, giving in. "Rossi told me last night... that Strauss's replacement is very keen on employee fraternization. We might get disbanded if she catches wind of this." She gestured to JJ's stomach to make her point.

JJ stared at Kate for a minute, confused by why she was so upset. It wasn't like she would be one of the ones to suffer with the rule intact. Kate wasn't with anyone at the bureau.

"I already talked with her," the blonde said reassuringly. "A few months ago, I went to speak with her when Spence and I started dating. She wasn't happy, but gave me a pass because I was honest and discussed it with her."

Kate was shocked, and her anxiety seemed to diffuse. "Does Rossi know?"

"No," JJ said. "I didn't tell anyone. Once she approved us, she asked us to keep it out of the workplace and at home only. Our personal lives were our business."

"Then why was she so upset before?" Kate asked. "She was practically screaming at the seminar. She scared a lot of people."

"It was Morgan and Garcia she was so angry about," JJ explained. " Mainly with their excessive flirting. She worries it'll make the bureau look unprofessional. That's what Sylvia told me anyway."

So the dragon lady did have a name. Fancy that.

"Oh," Kate said. "_Oh. _I guess that does make sense. If the bureau looks bad, she looks bad." Kate paused a second. "Has the rule been overlooked then? You know, since you and Spence got the go-ahead?"

JJ shrugged. "Not completely," she replied. "I know that Sylvia was particularly hard on Rossi because of his involvement with Erin. That definitely wasn't allowed. As for anyone else, I guess as long as you act professional and let her know it's fine."

Relief instantly washed across Kate's face. "Thank goodness," she said. "I was worried the BAU would get disbanded."

"You were?"

"Yes," Kate said, trying to force her eyes to stay on JJ's face. Hotch had walked past their tent, giving Kate a glimpse of him, and she could hardly keep herself focused on the conversation.

JJ, even though she wasn't a profiler, picked up on Kate's behavior. She followed her eyes to the man standing outside talking with Reid and Morgan.

Suddenly she gasped. Glancing back at Kate, her eyes wild, she couldn't help but smile: "Does someone have feelings for a certain boss?"

It was all Kate could do was groan. Why did profilers have to analyze behavior so well?

* * *

"You have to tell her the truth."

The phrase from Reid was simple, but Derek blanched at it. "I _can't. _It's not as easy to plan the future for me as it is for you. I'm not used to this." He motioned to himself. "I've never felt this way for anyone before."

"Well, neither have I," the genius replied. "JJ is definitely someone who stirred feelings inside me that I didn't know existed. Garcia probably does the same for you."

Derek couldn't hide it anymore. Reid was reading him like a book. "She asked if I wanted to have kids someday," he said, averting his eyes from the expectant father. "I told her no."

"That was the lie?" Reid asked and Derek nodded. "I'm sure she didn't mean tomorrow. It's still way in the future for the two of you."

"I know," he said softly. "I guess...when she asked, it made everything seem serious to me. So I panicked."

Reid waited a minute before answering. "Are you afraid of the future or about a commitment to her?"

"Both," Derek answered honestly. "Sometimes I think about where we'll be ten years from now and freak out. Other times I think about ten hours from now and wonder if I can still be faithful to her."

"You're in love with her, aren't you?"

"Of course!" he sputtered. "I've always been in love with her. She's everything I've ever wanted and needed. I couldn't...I couldn't imagine my life without her."

"Then you wouldn't cheat on her, Derek," Reid said. "You love Penelope too much to hurt her like that. You're not really afraid of your future... you're afraid of your past."

Derek thought his knees were going to give out with the realization. He was letting his past ruin his future with the love of his life. His stupid past that involved cheating on his ex girlfriends with random women he barely knew for no reason at all.

He had been terrified of doing that to Penelope. Scared shitless. Who would want to subject someone they loved to that kind of pain? If they got more serious, it would only hurt her more if he messed up.

Reid was right though. Derek did love Penelope too much to cheat on her. Whenever he thought of anyone hurting her, he wanted to punch them, even if that person was himself.

"Reid," he started. "I, I need to go find Penelope. I'll be right back."

He dashed off, leaving Reid alone for only ten seconds before Kate sprinted by. "Where are you going?" Reid asked her. Then: "Where's the fire?"

"I have to see Hotch!" she said, breezing by him quickly to the lake, leaving behind her blonde tag-a-long.

All Reid could do was look at JJ quizzically, who shrugged with a grin. "It must be something in the water," she said. "Either that or we're a very inspiring couple."

"I'll go with the second option," he said, smiling down at her as she walked over. "Everyone is pairing off."

"I know," JJ said. "It's definitely getting interesting. We must be awfully cute."

"I love you," Reid said. "So much. We're definitely the cutest couple here."

"I love you more."

* * *

Penelope walked through the trees, arms wrapped around her, trying to figure out what to do. She wasn't far from the campsite, but knew she needed a walk to clear her head. Her previous conversation with Derek had unsettled her.

How could she stay with a man who wanted a different future from her? Derek didn't want kids, and Penelope couldn't imagine her future without them. She had always envisioned herself as a mother someday.

She also knew that no matter how much she loved him, that this wasn't negotiable for her. She couldn't be with someone who never wanted children. Heck, Penelope wasn't even sure if Derek liked them. She knew he enjoyed older ones, but babies and toddlers? She'd never seen him in the situation. Jack and Henry were in an older age group now, and his nephews were too far away for Derek to see them often.

Penelope looked up at the sky, hoping another answer would soon dawn on her. As much as couldn't imagine her future without kids, she also couldn't imagine it without Derek. It was like seeing a bleak version of her. She'd be half alive without him.

"Penelope?"

She turned at the sound of the voice, surprised to see Rossi clear out here in the middle of the woods. "What are you doing out here?" they both asked each other in unison.

"You first," Rossi said, his eyes trying to smile at her but failing. "What has you so upset?"

She shrugged, not sure how to approach the topic. "Just issues with Derek."

"Well, if he doesn't want kids, you can't change his mind," Rossi said. "Even if you do, he may resent you later on for forcing him into something he wasn't ready for."

"Wait," Penelope said. "How did you know?"

He snickered. "You've been talking to yourself for five minutes," Rossi said. "You might want to keep that in mind for future arguments."

"Will do," she said. Then: "You never told me why you're out here."

The older man looked embarrassed at first. Then, reluctantly, he pulled out a locket and handed it to Penelope. "I wanted to be alone with her."

She fingered the silver locket, noting how pretty it was. The initials ES were carved in the middle along with the two small hearts. "Is was Strauss's?" she asked softly.

Rossi shook his head. "I was supposed to give it to her for our anniversary," he said. "There's a picture of us inside."

Penelope opened the locket. Inside was Erin Strauss looking great, better than Penelope remembered her actually, with a smiling Rossi by her side.

"That's my favorite picture of us," he said. "When she died, I couldn't bear to part with it. So now I take it with me everywhere."

She only looked at him, shocked to see Rossi in this new and vulnerable light. "What brought this on?" she whispered. "I thought you were doing better. I thought...things were getting easier for you."

"I am doing better," he replied. "Truly. I just… I was talking with Kate earlier about employee fraternization and how hard our new boss can be on employees who choose to violate this." He paused a minute. "When Erin died, Sylvia wasn't the nicest to me about our involvement."

"Sylvia?" Penelope asked. "You mean, the dragon lady?"

Rossi gave her a look. "That isn't her given name," he said. "But yes, that's her. Sylvia said that our relationship made the bureau look bad."

"Were you warning Kate?" she whispered. "Were you afraid that her and Hotch would be found out?"

"How did you know about Kate and Hotch?"

"Tents are thin," she said shrugging. "That and they watch each other constantly. There was obviously something there beyond friendship. I may not be a profiler, but I could almost smell the tension between them."

Rossi sighed. "I told Kate because I'm afraid for her," he said. "I know that her and Hotch are very similar to Erin and me. I don't want them going through the same pain I did. Though there wouldn't be a death, I'd hope…"

Penelope watched Rossi turn away discreetly, seeming like he was on the verge of tears. She wasn't sure what to do at first, so she gently rubbed his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said. "Truly I am. Is there anything I can do?"

He shook his head. Then, Penelope asked: "Do you want to head back early? Just you and me? I'd like to get a head start anyway, and you look like you need some time away from everyone."

"I'd like that," Rossi said. "Thanks."

They started walking back to the campsite then to grab their things. Before they arrived, Penelope said softly: "We're just two heartbroken souls, aren't we?"

All Rossi could do was nod in agreement.

* * *

Kate practically slammed into Aaron when she found him standing on the edge of the lake. It seemed all their encounters would involve water in some way.

Jack and Henry were down on the other side, trying to catch the fish with their hands and feet, so Kate kissed him. She just couldn't stop herself. "Hey you," she said. "We need to talk."

Hotch looked at her, surprised, but didn't object. Whatever had gotten into Kate he approved of. He had missed her.

"What do you want to talk about?" he asked, between kisses. He snuck a glance at the boys, but they were completely distracted by the fish. They had privacy. "Want to go up on the grass?" he asked. "I know you can't swim."

Kate nodded, turning down the flirting for the time being. They needed to talk first. That and the kids were only so far away.

"What's up?" Aaron asked when they were sitting.

It was suddenly harder to confess what she needed to. With Aaron looking at her expectantly, she could feel the weight of everything on her shoulders. The team, hurting him, Sylvia, and JJ's reaction. It was the electricity between them that sparked her next sentence.

"Can we have a do over?" Kate asked. "I… I misunderstood something and took it out on you earlier. I'd really like if we could forget our conversation from this morning."

She was almost terrified to see his reaction.

* * *

Derek ran over to Reid and JJ, panic evident on the man's face. "Where's Penelope?" he asked, his breath coming quickly.

"She left," JJ said. "Didn't you know? Her and Rossi took off early. They came for their things. I thought you were going with them."

Derek cursed loudly, slamming a hand to his head. "No, I didn't know. She's probably mad at me. I'm going to lose her because of this lie."

"Lie?" JJ asked. "What are you…"

Reid cut her off. He knew that Derek was far too frantic and far gone to listen to reason. "She left without talking to you first?"

"Yeah," he said motioning to her tent. "All her stuff is gone. I think Rossi went with her. His tent is gone completely."

It was then that Henry interrupted them. "Excuse me," the little boy said. "Uncle Derek? Auntie Penelope told me to give this to you."

Henry handed over a folded piece of notebook paper. It was hot pink with doodles in the margin and obviously the property of Penelope's. JJ, Reid, and Henry watched as Derek read through her words, his lips moving as he read them again and again.

Before they could ask, Derek tore into the woods in the direction toward home. He didn't even remember his things.

**A/N: Everyone will get their happily ever afters, I promise! Reviews, anyone?**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Thanks everyone for the reviews and feedback! It's much appreciated. If anyone has ideas for future fanfics, PM me and let me know! **

"I'd like that too," Aaron said, looking intently at the burnette. "Though, I must ask, what exactly should I be forgetting about and moving on from?"

"Well, uh.." she began.

Focusing on Kate, Aaron watched her push a strand of hair behind one ear and clear her throat. Was she going to admit to having feelings for him at last? He surely hoped so. Or maybe this was just an apology on her part for everything that had happened to them in the last day...

Kate sucked in a breath. "What I said," she replied quietly. "Is what I want a do-over with. I want you to forget that I ever said I didn't care for you in that way. Because I do. I care about you a lot."

There was complete silence between them, but the weight was instantly lifted from Kate's shoulders. She could breathe again. The anxiety over telling him was over, and her worries over the team breaking apart were now shared with him. He was just as responsible for the night before as she was. One was not more guilty than the other.

Kate snuck a glance at Aaron, hoping he wasn't going to reject her, as hypocritical as that was. To her surprise, he was laughing.

"What?" she asked, mouth agape. "What are you laughing at?"

"You," he said between chuckles. "I'm ecstatic to hear your confession. Really, I truly am. I care for you too, and I have for a while."

"I'm happy to hear that," Kate said uncertainly. Why was Aaron laughing exactly?

"What's been up with you though? It's like you've done a 360 in the last hour, Callahan," he said. "Most people don't do that."

She gave him a small smile. "Do you really want to know?" she asked and he nodded.

Kate filled him on everything. How Rossi had seen them kissing, his warning, her worries over Sylvia disbanding the BAU, and how she had talked to JJ earlier.

"I'm still concerned," Kate said. "Sylvia's definitely not going to like 75% of the team being involved with one another. I can't say that I blame her either. It doesn't seem very professional."

Hotch waved her off. "You leave Sylvia to me," he said. "I'll handle her."

"You and the ice queen are friends?" Kate asked incredulously. "_Why?"_

"She's really not that bad away from the office," Aaron said. "She's actually a nice person. She's just put on a tighter rope than Strauss ever was. She has a lot of pressure on her."

Kate only looked at him, trying to hide her smile. "Are you sure you can handle that fire breathing dragon on your own?" she asked. "I'm more than willing to tag along to make things easier for you."

"Kate, darling," Aaron said, tipping his head back into the sun. "You have nothing to worry about. Sylvia owes me a few favors anyway."

He slowly leaned back onto the grass, taking Kate with him. They were laying in the sun, sprawled out like kids watching the clouds, listening as Jack and Henry ran around the lake splashing and yelling to one another.

"I'm glad that we took this trip," Kate said.

"Me too," Aaron replied. "Especially since it led me to you."

* * *

Derek thought he was going to die. He was running as fast as his legs would carry him, but it didn't seem to be enough. He still hadn't caught up to Penelope and Rossi.

He never ran this fast. His workouts never needed to be this intense as long as they were consistent. Heck, the more Derek thought about it, the more he realized the last time he had reached this speed was during his FBI physical three years ago.

His legs ached as he went uphill again, calling her name. She had to be around here somewhere. He knew Penelope, and her speed in hiking was never fast. She liked taking her time and enjoying the scenery. Rossi was the same way.

"Penelope!" Derek yelled. "Baby Girl!"

He looked around him wildly, hoping to see her and Rossi lagging behind or coming back to see who was calling them.

Her words from that note were still haunting him in his chase. _We both seem to want different things out of life, Derek, _she had written. _When we get back to Quantico, we should take a break. Maybe even see other people. _

Why had Derek ever told her that he didn't want kids? Of course he wanted them with her. It wasn't like he planned to stay in the bedroom all their lives and have nothing come of it. He had other plans, he just hadn't planned on them happening any time soon.

The note again.

_I love you more than anything. I can't imagine my life without you, Derek. I just know that it wouldn't be fair for me to stay with you when I want other things. I don't want to grow resentful of you through the years._

He couldn't imagine his life without her either. That's why he needed to find her before they reached the parking lot at the end of the trail. Derek didn't want her back in Quantico until he fixed everything. It was like their trip home was a ticking time bomb on their relationship.

He tried to peer in the distance, but he still didn't see them. How were they keeping such a fast pace? Was Penelope that desperate to get away from him?

_I always thought my future was with you. I never thought ahead with Kevin or Sam, and I suppose that's what hurts the most. I thought I was that one for you. That's why I don't think I can move on from this or have you in my life anymore. At least not the way you have been._

It was at that memory when he took off running at full speed. "PENELOPE!" he yelled to the wind. "Baby Girl!"

What if he didn't make it to her on time?

* * *

JJ and Reid were packing their things and talking among themselves. It seemed everyone else on the team was dealing with a bit of drama except for them.

"I hope Derek finds her," Reid said. "Penelope and him are soulmates."

JJ looked at him, a smile on her lips. "I thought you said you didn't believe in soulmates," she said. "You said it was statistically impossible to have only one person in the world that belonged with you."

Reid looked embarrassed then. "It is scientifically impossible for only one person to make you fall in love," he said. "You can match with a numerous amount of people. Attraction is blind to that."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I don't believe in the science side of that argument anymore," he explained. "Just because statistics and data say one thing doesn't make it true. I've known since the day I met you that you were the one for me."

Setting down her tent, JJ walked over to him. He continued talking: "There's no one else that makes me feel this way. No one at all. All the time I was with other people I was thinking of you."

JJ kissed him then. "You're my soulmate too," she said. "I've never loved anyone as much as I love you."

* * *

Penelope and Rossi had stopped to look at the view. Rossi was snapping pictures with his camera, but Penelope felt detached. All she wanted was to turn around and run back to Derek. They could work it out, couldn't they? Was she just overreacting?

No, she realized sadly. She wasn't. Her and Derek were simply not meant to be anymore. They wanted different things. It wasn't fair to either one of them to be with someone who didn't share their plans for the future.

"Penelope!"

She turned toward Rossi, thinking the older man was the one yelling her name. Rossi looked at her in bewilderment, and they turned back to the trees just in time to see a figure slice through them.

It was Derek.

Penelope's heart instantly sped up and she felt better. Whole again. Even though she was angry and hurt, she was beyond happy to see him.

She didn't show it though. She knew that would be a mistake on her end. Penelope needed to keep herself together and not fall under Derek's spell. If she did, it wasn't a guarantee she could return from it.

"Baby Girl," Derek said, gasping for air. He had ran the whole way. "We need to talk. Right now."

She glanced over at Rossi. "I'll take my cue," he said. "There's some other pictures I want to take back there anyway."

He left the two of them alone.

Once he was out of earshot, Penelope crossed her arms. "Please say whatever it is that you want to say," she said. "I have quite a bit of hiking left to do."

"Baby Girl…" Derek started but she interrupted him.

"Don't you dare call me that!" she roared. "You have lost that right." Then, taking a deep breath to calm herself: "Didn't you get my note? I asked Henry to give it to you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled it out. "I did," he said. "I read it, and we need to talk."

Penelope scoffed at him, turning to see that Rossi was out of sight. He had left them completely alone. She pressed her lips together, trying to hold her bearings, and looked at Derek.

"Seriously?" she asked. "Why? So you can tell me again how much you don't want my children? Please don't Derek. It hurt enough the first time you said it."

"Penelope…"

"I mean, I thought my future was with you. I thought we were going to get married and that would be us someday," she babbled. "I always imagined us being like JJ and Reid. That'll never be us, though, will it?"

"Penelope," Derek said, finally getting a word in edgewise. It seemed she had finished her rant. "Please listen to me. Please. I need to tell you the truth."

"The truth?" she cried. "You already told me the truth! You told me you didn't want kids. Even if they were with _me_."

She was crying then.

Derek took a deep breath. He reached out to her, letting his fingers brush her shoulder carefully. To her surprise, she didn't push him away.

"Can I please talk without an interruption?" he asked, pulling her closer to him.. "If you would give me the chance to explain myself, you'd realize I have something else to confess."

"Fine," she whispered in defeat. "What is it?"

"I lied," he said. "You freaked me out this morning, okay? We haven't been together all that long, and I guess...I guess I thought you meant you wanted to get pregnant soon. I don't know."

Penelope didn't say anything at first. She looked up at him, her mascara smeared down her cheeks, the hurt evident in her eyes still. Did she even believe him?

"What are you saying?" she asked. "Just spit it out."

Derek closed his eyes for a second. "You terrify me sometimes," he admitted. "Especially when you bring up things like kids. I love you. I really do. And...sometimes...when you love someone, you really screw things up."

She started to talk, but he held up a hand. "Let me finish. I do want kids with you. Okay? That was the lie. I've always thought about it and dreamed about it. I just...never talked about it out loud before. So it scared me."

Penelope watched him stumble over his words, feeling horrible the entire time. Why hadn't she talked with him before leaving the campsite? It was so unfair of her. She knew Derek's phobia of commitments.

"Derek," she finally said. "Here's the thing."

* * *

Rossi stood on the other end of the trees, trying his hardest to stay distracted. Derek and Penelope were going to be a while, he knew. Derek loved her, and he would do anything to win her back. Besides, Rossi had a hard time believing that Derek didn't want to have kids. It was out of character for him. He loved them.

At that thought, Rossi had to smile. Knowing how much Derek and Penelope loved each other reminded him of Erin. Whether she ever admitted it or not, she had always secretly wished they would get together. They all had.

"_You know they're going to be together one day," Rossi had said to the section chief. They had been discussing the employee fraternization rules. "I don't think you can scare them enough to stop them."_

_Erin looked at him from her computer, grinning. "Who said I was trying to stop them?" she asked flippantly. "I happen to think they would make the perfect couple."_

"_Seriously?"_

"_Yes," she insisted. "I do. If Derek ever asks Penelope out, I'll look the other way. As long as they keep their personal lives at home, I don't mind. As long as they don't..." She paused a second to make sure one was nearby. "have sexual relations at FBI headquarters."_

_Rossi only shook his head. "Someone got bit by the Morcia bug."_

"_Morcia?"_

_He laughed awkwardly. "That's what the teams call them. It's their couple name. They never say it in front of Morgan though. He'd kill them. I'm not sure Penelope knows about it either."_

_Erin only smiled, peering out of her office window. "Speaking of the devil," she said. "It looks like Derek is coming in to see us now. Do you think that's what he's going to tell us? That they're finally together?"_

"_We'll have to wait and see," Rossi said. Then, to Derek: "Have a seat, Morgan. What brings you here?"_

Rossi looked up at the sky, the memory of Erin hitting him hard. She had been so excited after Derek admitted their relationship that day. They were both quick to approve and fill out the required paperwork. The young man had been shocked.

Erin hadn't been alive long enough to see the outcome of what she approved though.

Rossi glanced back in the direction of the couple, hoping Derek was talking some sense into Penelope. They belonged together. There was no way his favorite couple would break up for good. The signs had always been there. They were even a reminder of what he had with Erin.

They were soulmates. No doubt about it. Now, if only Morgan could convince Penelope to forgive him, and all would be right again.

* * *

"You can't lie to me anymore," Penelope whispered. "Do you hear me? You can't lie to me again. I love you and it hurts too much. Especially about something as big as that."

"I won't," Derek swore. "You have my word."

"Then I forgive you," she said. "But you've still got a long way to go until you're out of the doghouse with me, Hot Stuff."

His heart sped up at the sound of his nickname. "Well, I do have forever to find a way to make it up to you, don't I?"

"Why yes," she replied. "You do."

"I kinda love you, Penelope Garcia."

"And I kinda love you, Derek Morgan."

Then they were kissing right in the middle of the woods. Penelope was practically clinging to him, and Derek was holding her as close as humanly possible.

Thankfully the team wasn't there to watch this time around. They had their privacy. They knew Rossi wouldn't disturb them for anything in the world.

**A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed. Thank you again for all the reviews. Don't forget to leave one with any final thoughts! : )**


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